In teaching swimming to beginners, and also in therapeutic swimming programs for swimmers who are somewhat handicapped, it is desirable to provide additional floatation for the swimmer's body. However, floatation aids of the typical life-jacket construction, whether formed of padded fibrous filled materials or buoyant plastic materials, generally are of a size and shape which interfere with swimming motions. Floatation belts, such as are commonly used in water skiing and the like activities, also provide floatation in only a limited area of the body and are inadequate for the purposes of generally supporting the torso while the swimmer develops sufficient confidence, in learning to swim, to no longer need such a device or to assist those who in some manner are physically handicapped.
Thus, there has been a need for a floatation assisting device, which is unlike a life-jacket or life vest in that it provides only limited floatation assistance, and is structured to support the torso of the swimmmer in the water without interfering with the movements of the swimmer's limbs and the shoulder and leg muscles and also provides minimum bulging or interference with the general shape of the swimmer's body.
Further, since the purpose of the device is to function for a limited time, ordinarily in swimming lessons for beginners, it is desirable to have a very simple and inexpensive construction.